Conductive Flexible Web Assembly for Low-Resistance Textile Electrodes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrically conductive textiles face challenges with high contact resistance issues when connecting electrical supply lines, leading to potential overheating and inefficiencies in applications like flexible heating elements.
Innovation Solution
An electrically conductive fabric with a polymer-bonded coating on a flexible, non-conductive support, featuring electrodes designed as flexible bands that are sewn or folded to ensure full contact with the conductive coating, reducing contact resistance and enhancing electrical connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metallized threads or yarns are used to create electrically conductive textiles, then electrical conductivity is achieved, but the textile becomes expensive and undesirably stiff
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive metallized threads with inexpensive conductive coatings applied to flexible substrates. The conductive coating layer (containing metal particles, carbon black, or graphite) is applied directly to flexible materials like textiles or films, eliminating the need for costly metallized yarns while maintaining electrical conductivity and preserving flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite structures combining flexible substrates (textiles, films) with conductive coatings (metal particles, polymer binders, carbon materials). This composite approach integrates the flexibility of the substrate with the conductivity of the coating, avoiding the stiffness inherent in metallized thread-based textiles.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional connection methods (crimping or gluing) are used to attach supply lines to conductive textiles, then assembly is simplified, but contact resistance becomes very high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the supply line conductor with the conductive coating layer through direct integration. The supply line is embedded within or directly bonded to the conductive coating, creating a continuous conductive path without discrete connection points. This eliminates the high contact resistance associated with separate crimping or gluing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The conductive coating is applied to the substrate in advance, creating a continuous conductive layer before the supply line is attached. This preliminary formation of the conductive pathway ensures that when the supply line is connected, it interfaces with an already-established low-resistance conductive surface, avoiding high contact resistance at connection points.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively minimizes contact resistance, enabling efficient electrical conductivity and heat distribution in flexible heating elements, making them suitable for various applications including clothing and vehicle heating systems.
Implementation Method 1
an electrically conductive fabric, which comprises a polymer-bonded electrically conductive coating on an electrically non-conductive flat support made of flexible material, is provided with at least two electrodes for feeding in electrical current
Implementation Method 2
The present invention relates to electrically conductive, flexible flat structures and their use in flexible, flat heating elements (so-called surface heating elements) and in clothing
Data Source
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Figure 3
AI summary
The present invention relates to an electrically conductive, flexible web material, comprising a polymer-bonded electrically conductive coating (2) on a flexible, electrically non-conductive carrier (1) and at least two electrodes (3) for feeding electric current, wherein the electrodes (3) are designed as a flexible band made of an electrically conductive material, and wherein each electrode is fixed on the flat carrier (2) by means of one or more stitches (5), such that at least one surface of each electrode (3) has a surface contact with the electrically conductive coating (2). The invention further relates to the use of the electrically conductive, flexible web material in heating elements and in clothing.